Paradise Where You Are
Here we sit in the snow and cold as another winter is upon us. We recently returned for a trip to Hawaii. How glorious it was to experience 'paradise' and get a break from the cold weather (which has been unseasonably cold this year). As the snow was falling today, I found myself wishing I was back sitting on the Waikiki Beach. Then I remembered, as so often before in my life, that paradise is where you are. It is up to us to create our own paradise and be happy with our surroundings. I have always felt sorry for those people who seem to stumble along daily wishing they were at another place in life. One can waste an entire life wishing for different circumstances. As usual, this always brings me back to the classroom where the same thing applies. Are the children sitting there wishing for a different setting, or are they experiencing paradise? It is up to the educator to make sure it is the latter.
Labels: early childhood classrooms
posted by John Funk @ Permalink4:48 PM
5 Comments:
Here near Houston, my students think of snow as paradise. Earlier this month, it snowed during the school day.
Our principal let us take our students out for the experience (five minutes only, most didn't have coats.)
Though it was thought it would continue in the evening, it did not. But I don't think my eighth graders really cared. On returning to class, they really did get back to work, occasionally glancing out the window to store up "The Day It Snowed."
And we were even glad to have it warm up to a slushy grey over the next days. Every day, good weather and bad, sad and happy, are bits of paradise: the only day we live, just one at a time.
Peace to you and yours from your Texas fans.
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Really nice time......
Wow i must say that Hawaii sounds wonderful! I hope you enjoyed your trip! This cold is never fun to come home to! I love when you say that you feel sorry for pepole who stumble through life wishing they were in another place. This statment hits close to home for alot of people including myself. Life can through us some hard balls and it would be so easy to just be able to run away. Its the people who can progress and stay optimistic taht will become the best person that they can be. Just after having our first class yesterday i wish i colul've had a teacher like you throughout my entire educational career. I have a very creative mind and i am a very visual person. Testing not so much my cup of tea! I have learned a lot from my Mom who has been a pre-school teacher for thirty years. Her approach sounds alot like yours. She uses the learning through play concept. I believe that you can very easily make the classroom a child's paradise! I beleive that the educator makes all the difference in the world. I have struggled my way through school and i don't place blame anywhere but on myself... BUT when i have a good teacher it makes all the difference! Educators are the light in a child's future. The earlier years i think are the most important years! These teachers are there to lay the stepping stones for these children. The classroom setting and the teacher can do anything they want! The sky is the limit so i say make these children's classrooms paradise! I don't understand why you would want it any other way! I am looking forward to this class. Courtney G. 5170.
What a great reminder...not only for me as a parent, but for me personally. Thanks.
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